Had my inguinal hernia repair done 12 days ago by keyhole surgery. This was essentially fixing an old repair that had given up the ghost after 14 years. About 5 days ago I started to feel some discomfort around my navel area where one of the keyhole incisions was done during the operation. It got to the stage that I was deliberately hiking my underpants and trouser waistbands up to avoid pressure in the area. My wife reckoned I looked like some comic representation of an "old codger" I was concerned at first that it was due to some infection at the incision site but the would looked fine. What I did have was a reddish area with several little blisters that were at first itchy but became increasingly sensitive and quite painful. At the same time I was getting itching on my forearm with again little blister-like eruptions though less obvious than those around my navel area. I have not had a formal diagnosis but it seems from the symptoms to be shingles in a mild form at least (I did have the shingles vaccine about 3 years ago I reckon.) Coincidentally I also developed a large cold-sore on my upper lip just post operation. I thought at first the anesthetist had banged my lip during sedation but it actually developed into a cold sore. I know the cold sore and shingles viruses are different. Just wondered if anyone else had experience of a shingles attack after surgery - hernia or otherwise